2016 MINI Hardtop Road Test

The verdict: The four-door 2016 Mini Hardtop retains much of the two-door's nimbleness and fun-to-drive personality, but even with extra doors and length, it's not big on carrying passengers or cargo.

Versus the competition: About the size of traditional subcompact hatchbacks but priced like larger compacts, the four-door Hardtop places a greater emphasis on style, unique controls and driving fun than either type usually does.

The modern-era Mini Cooper debuted in the U.S. more than a decade ago on the belief that smaller was better. In certain ways — like when it came to maneuverability, handling and city parking — Mini was right. Since then, Mini's range of cars has grown considerably and the names have evolved; the latest version of what was the Cooper is now called the Hardtop, which uses the Cooper moniker for trim levels. This review covers the 2016 Hardtop Cooper S four-door, which we'll refer to as the Hardtop S for clarity's sake.

Being small, however, compromised things like passenger comfort and cargo room. Mini has set about addressing this with the four-door version of the Hardtop, which rides on a stretched platform and has two extra side doors for easier access to the rear seats. Passengers back there also have 1.5 inches more legroom than they would in the two-door, and the cargo area behind them is 4.4 cubic feet larger, for a total of 13.1 cubic feet. Mini also sells a Clubman hatchback, which has four doors and is bigger ... Read more

2016 Hardtop Video

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